Community Conversations Film Series
“Shouting Fire: Stories from the Edge of Free Speech”
Meriden Library
April 3 6pm – 7:30pm
Come out and join your neighbors in an exploration of one of
our most precious freedoms – the Freedom of Speech.
What political guarantees must a society possess in order to truly enjoy
freedom of expression? Do Americans ever benefit by limiting the scope of
the First Amendment? The film examines those questions, focusing on
case studies that weigh free speech against other societal values and influences.
These include the backlash against University of Colorado professor Ward
Churchill’s musings on imperialism in U.S. foreign policy; principal Debbie
Almontaser’s forced resignation from New York’s first Arabic-English
public school due to her alleged terrorist sympathies; inappropriate or
excessive restraint against protesters at the 2004 Republican National
Convention; and the suspension of a San Diego high schooler for wearing
a “Homosexuality Is Shameful” T-shirt.
An HBO Production. (74 minutes) Followed by Q & A and discussion.